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Stewardship committee sets $10,000 donation target for Search and Rescue after reviewing past costs
Summary
After reviewing past Search and Rescue costs, the committee agreed to set the annual donation expectation at $10,000, with members asking for clearer documentation of needs before any permanent increase; some members suggested allocating smaller portions to other local science or trail-maintenance groups instead of increasing SAR's allocation.
The stewardship committee discussed and set an expectation to budget $10,000 annually as a donation to Search and Rescue (SAR) for Sand Flats-related calls, after staff analysis showed SAR costs fluctuated between roughly $6,000 and $13,000 in recent years.
Background and discussion: the director reviewed SAR cost analyses prepared with Nancy May from SAR and said 2023 actuals suggested a lower outlay than previously budgeted. "We only came up with 6,000," the director noted referring to the 2023 calculation. Committee members worried about setting an unsustainable expectation and recommended documenting SAR needs before increasing the regular allocation; several members proposed keeping the accustomed $10,000 floor and revisiting an increase if SAR submits a formal request.
Alternatives and broader community support: Evan Clapper and others suggested considering donations to other community organizations (for research, trail maintenance or scholarship support) and asked whether part of the SAR budget could be directed to equipment storage or training. Clapper recommended confirming SAR’s needs in a presentation or written request rather than automatically raising the allocation.
Decision and next steps: the committee reached informal consensus to set the SAR line at $10,000 in the draft budget with flexibility to revisit if SAR demonstrates an additional need. Staff were asked to request documentation from SAR showing how donated funds would be used, and to consider whether a portion of the donation should be redirected to other community science or trail-maintenance efforts if appropriate.
Procedural note: the decision was a committee-level budget guidance rather than a formal binding appropriation; final budget changes will be subject to county advisory and commission review.
